


we'll take darkness into brightness yeah (leading you into the light (be the light) oh you'll be alive)

by terrierlee



Category: Overboard (1987), Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Brief implications of depression, M/M, Overboard AU, Vicchan Lives, asexual Victor, esp near the end, for some reason they live in oregon, it's a hell of a day at sea sir, phichit seung gil kenjirou and guang hong are adopted by yuuri, so many people fall off boats, so much victor and vicchan interaction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-08
Updated: 2018-04-08
Packaged: 2019-04-20 01:38:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14250291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/terrierlee/pseuds/terrierlee
Summary: There was movement from behind the door before it slowly opened, and Victor made his way out into the living room.Yuuri tried and failed to keep his mouth shut.“So,” Victor kept his eyes towards the floor as he lifted a piece of his outfit, “Aside from the color scheme… let’s talk about how this is three times too big?”Ignoring the snickers coming from the couch, Yuuri willed himself to stay calm. “It’s not that bad.”“Not that bad?” The skepticism dripped from Victor’s tongue.Adorning his body was a light blue dress covered in floral print that had been dulled from overuse. The bottom touched the floor, completely covering his feet while the neckline was so stretched, it fell off his left shoulder, exposing his skin.Yuuri tried, and failed, to keep his attention away from the fact that if Victor moved just an inch, the dress would shift and unveil his nipple.Shutting his mouth, Yuuri nodded, praying the next words out of his mouth wouldn’t condemn him.“You like this wear this to bed. You’ve always said how comfy it is.”--An Overboard AU





	we'll take darkness into brightness yeah (leading you into the light (be the light) oh you'll be alive)

**Author's Note:**

> the title is from Kamen Rider Build's OP "Be The One" because I am completely unoriginal when it comes to titles.
> 
> A SPECIAL THANKS to LinneaKou who listened to my ramblings on twitter while I wrote this. Would anyone believe me when I say I thought of this AU long before I knew of the remake?

Despite the fact that Yuuri had lived his whole life beside the sea, he had never actually ventured onto a boat.

Today was going to change that.

Gripping his toolbox tightly in one hand, he made his way through the docks, until he stood before possibly the biggest ship ever to grace Elk Cove. The USS Makkachin shined in the bright afternoon light, the crew abroad yelling over the noise of the harbor. Towards the deck, he could see the heads of a group, huddled around something on deck.

“You’re late!”

Yuuri snapped to attention, eyes finding someone directly in front of the sun. He lifted a free hand to shield his eyes, barely making out someone in a captain’s hat. “Ah, sorry, I only received the call as soon as I finished another job.” He squinted against the harsh light, “Mr… Nikiforov?”

A scoff answered, “Do I look like that loser? Now hurry up, we don’t have all day.” The person moved out of the path of the sun, and Yuuri scrambled up onto the deck. The person, a younger man with shoulder length blond hair, was already walking towards the cabin.

Feeling a sigh coming up, Yuuri pushed it down. Only at this job for less than five minutes and he already pissed someone off. Sounds about right.

Once inside the interior, he followed until the man in front stopped just outside a doorframe. When Yuuri made no move to go inside, he crossed his arms and jerked his head to the side, “Well? What are you waiting for?”

 _Right,_ Yuuri bit his lower lip as he cross the threshold, _Let’s_ not _piss this guy off more than I already have._

He stopped, however, as he turned the corner. Because a bed was placed just so as one entered the room and laid out on their stomach was a man so beautiful clad in only a black thong and Yuuri couldn’t help but stare.

There was also a distinct poodle shaped birthmark positioned high on their left… well.

A rustle was the only thing that gave warning before Yuuri found himself flat on his back, a standard poodle on his chest, licking his face.

“Makkachin!”

Yuuri let himself laugh as the poodle continued licking his cheek, his fingers finding home among the fleece. “Good girl, good.” Makkachin gave one final lick before falling back, tag wagging happily as she looked towards the bed, letting out a bark.

The bed squeaked as the world’s most beautiful man sat at the end, “Makkachin’s never been so taken by someone before…”

_Oh,_ Yuuri focused his attention on the poodle, fingers scratching underneath her ears, _Even his voice is amazing._ “She probably smells my dogs, I have a toy poodle and a husky.” 

__

“Ugh.” Yuuri turned as the blond just outside the room folded his arms, his bangs obscuring his eyes, “Dog people.” He turned and walked away.

“Dogs are perfect beings put on Earth because they are perfect, Yuri!” The beautiful man slid off the bed, standing at his full height. “You get to keep your cat aboard, and I don’t talk bad about him! So don’t be mean!” Twirling on his heel, the man grabbed a piece of fabric from the bed, slipping it over his shoulders and tying the robe around the waist. Once he was done, he faced Yuuri again, holding out a hand, “Victor Nikiforov.”

Yuuri stared at the outstretched limb, because if he dared to look at the man in front of him, he knew he would end up focusing on the fact that the robe was sheer and completely see-through and if he didn’t want to be caught looking at the other man’s nipples, he surely didn’t want to have the same thing happen involving his dick.

 _No_ , Yuuri forced himself still, _don’t think about the man’s dick. Whatever you do, do_ not _look at his_ —

“Hello?”

“My dog’s name is Victor.” _Idiot!_ Closing his eyes, Yuuri let himself breathe through his nose. _Yes, great, what a wonderful way to start._

There was a hum before a clap jolted Yuuri back to the present, “Come! There’s so much to do and we do not have time to waste!” Victor moved from the bedside, into another adjoining room. “I need new shelves all along here,” He gestured, as Yuuri scrambled over to his side. “Also a new shoe rack because I am running out of space for my shoes.” Victor leaned against the wall, crossing his legs just so that the muscle in his thigh closest to Yuuri flexed, “I only have so much room on this boat, you know?”

“Um…”

“And here!” Victor pushed off the wall, turning to the other side of the room, “I need this entire section revamped so Makkachin has a proper place to put all her toys.”

“I’m sorry but…” Pressing a palm to his forehead, Yuuri glanced around the room, “So you want me to redo your closet?”

Victor blinked, as Makkachin padded over and sat beside his legs, “Yes? Isn’t that what I’ve been telling you in detail?” He let a hand fall on top of the poodle’s head, “You have forty-eight hours.” He gave the dog a gentle pat and then made his way out of the room. Makkachin stayed put, her tongue hanging out of her mouth as Yuuri lowered himself to his knees.

“What have I gotten myself into?”

* * *

Ever since Victor could remember, if he asked for something, nine times out of ten, he got it. He could recall when he asked his father figure, Yakov, for a playmate, and Makkachin appeared the next day. The two were inseparable. Wherever Vicktor went, Makkachin wasn’t far behind.

So it made sense that he had the standard poodle along with him on his journey.

Victor’s brow furrowed at that word. The entire cruise was one he had vehemently argued against. Who decided he had to marry some Canadian from across the world and why was it Victor’s duty? He was perfectly content to stay on his yacht, away from Canadians and other people in general. All Victor needed was his mobile library and his faithful poodle.

Said poodle was snoozing by his side, hidden under the shade of the umbrella.

The sun beat down from its position in the sky, and Victor was grateful once again for the invention of umbrellas. There was a bottle of sunscreen but it was already half empty. It wouldn’t do to show up at his fiancé’s door with reddened skin and as long as the carpenter was inside remodeling, Victor was doomed to stay on the deck where flies continued to buzz around his face.

One fly landed on the book he was reading, flitting around on the page. Victor simply stared at it, the urge to even shoo it away seemed like too much effort.

“Oi.”

Victor slowly raised his head, finding Yuri standing on the other side of Makkachin. The younger man had his arms folded across his chest and a scowl a permanent feature on his face.

“The engine is gonna take two days to fix, we should be restocking, not… not remodeling your closet!”

Letting out a sigh, Victor slipped a small piece of paper into the folds of his book, firmly shutting it without making sure the fly as flown off. “It’s my boat, my closet, and if I want it remodeled, I can do as I please.” He leaned back, pressing against a pillow, “Just keep an eye on that engine. Once it’s fixed, my closet should be done and we’ll be on our way.” Victor paused then, letting his hand find home in Makkachin’s curls, “And then you’ll never see me again cause I’ll be left with my new husband. Won’t you be happy.”

The words were soft, without any heat behind them. Victor had lowered his head, bangs obscuring his eyes. From beside him, Makkachin raised her own head and gently nuzzled against Victor’s hand.

A bang jerked his head up. Yuri had turned, shoulders shaking, hands balled into fists. Without a word, he stalked off, leaving Victor alone on the deck.

The older man glanced down at his faithful poodle, who didn’t react to the noise, before opening his book.

He grimaced. In the middle of a paragraph lay the remains of a fly.

* * *

Yuuri took a step back to take in his finished product. On the floor lay scattered pieces of wood, nails, and other odds and ends. But it was complete. He pushed his glasses up his nose, his stomach heavy as if lead lay inside. Two days was nearly an impossible task, but Yuuri managed to and try as he might, he found no flaw.

The true test, however, was fast approaching.

Heavy footsteps fell until they stopped just outside the door. Yuuri hesitantly turned, finding Victor in a light blue sheer robe, just like the one from two days prior, as well as the same black thong that practically clung to his body.

He quickly shifted his attention back to the closet, yet still he was attuned to the other man as he entered the room, poking at the refurbished room.

Yuuri gripped the front of his shirt, his breath frozen in his chest.

Victor moved to the other side of the room, to where Makkachin’s half of the closet stood. He took his time, inspecting every nook and cranny with the attention that Yuuri was startled by.

“That’s—“ Yuuri took a step forward, faltering for just a second as Victor’s blue eyes caught his own, “That’s for your dog to put her toys in.” He gestured to the drawer Victor was about to open. “I made it so she could open it herself, poodles are smart dogs, I’m sure you know.”

The smallest smile graced Victor’s face as he moved away from the drawer until he pointed at what looked like a giant dog bone, “And what about this?”

And so they continued, Yuuri keeping his eyes ahead, an answer ready on his tongue when Victor pointed and asked about what was on Makkachin’s side of the closet. By the time they reached the last piece, the sun was starting its descent past the horizon.

Victor stood, his body radiating a joy that Yuuri had not seen the entire time he was aboard. “Yes, this was a fine job. Makkachin will love it.”

Yuuri glanced over to the other side of the room, to where Victor’s half lay, but the other man made no inquiries. “Um… what about your side?”

“Hm?” Victor merely gave his side of the closet a fleeting look before turning away, “It’s fine.”

Taking a small step forward, Yuuri bit his lower lip, “Are you sure?” His fingers twisted in his grasp, “I tried my best, if there’s something you didn’t like, if you give me some time, I can make it better.”

Yuuri continued moving forward, his sight getting fuzzier as the buzzing in his ears grew. Whatever Victor was going to say next was cut off, as Yuuri’s foot hit his toolbox, pitching him forward and into Victor’s strong arms.

They fell in a pile, Yuuri’s nose digging into the other man’s shoulder. Silence settled around them as both found their bearings.

“Oh my goodness I’m sor—“

“It’s quite alrigh—“

“I’m so so sorr—“

“Oi, Victor! The engine is fixed! We can finally leave this stupid hell—“

Yuuri shot to his feet, his face in flames as the young blond who first showed him the ship glared at him.

“This was all a mis—“

“What the fuck?!” Yuuri winced. “You think you can come here, destroy the place, and then assault this loser?” The blond’s face grew red, his small frame shaking, “Get the hell out of here!” He reached forward, grabbing Yuuri by the wrist and tugged up him the hall until they were out on the deck. The rest of the crew watched, though they tried to act as if they weren’t. “Get the hell off this boat and if I ever see you again, I’ll fucking kill you!”

Yanking his arm back, Yuuri stood as tall as he could, eyes hard, “I didn’t _do_ anything.”

“The fuck you did!”

“And,” Yuuri persisted, “before you showed up, before I tripped and fell, I was told I did a fine job. So before I leave, I expect payment.”

The blond scoffed, “Perverts don’t get paid here, shove off you pig.”

Yuuri crossed his arms, letting himself lean against the side of the ship. “I’m not going anywhere until you pay me.” From behind the blond, Victor emerged from the inside of the ship, Yuuri’s toolbox in hand.

“You want payment?” The blond snarled, “Fine.” And then he walked forward and pushed Yuuri right off the ship into the harbor.

Yuuri gasped as he resurfaced, rage burning deep in his gut, “Hey! You can’t do that!”

The blond leaned over the side, “I just did! I hope you die, pig!” He moved back, only reappearing with Yuuri’s toolbox, “And take this with you!” He let it go, Yuuri watching in dismay as his toolbox hit the water, his tools falling out and sinking into the water.

By the time Yuuri reached his emptied toolbox, now devoid of its contents, the USS Makkachin was already heading out into the open sea.

“Yeah well, good riddance.”

* * *

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“He was all over you!”

“He tripped! It could have happened to anyone!”

“You’re half naked! Have been ever since we started this stupid trip!”

“I’m constantly out in the sun! I don’t want to get a farmer’s tan!”

“Ugh!” Yuri threw his arms in the air, pacing up and down the room, “Agreeing to this remodeling bit was stupid, you’re stupid, and we’re behind schedule! That idiot Leroy has been expecting us for days and we’re nowhere near him!”

Letting out a small huff, Victor crossed his arms, leaning against the wall, “You didn’t have to come along. I’m fine on my own.”

Yuri scoffed, “Not according to Yakov.” He ceased his pacing, stopping just in front of the older man, poking him in the chest, “I was told to come just to make sure you didn’t use this as an excuse to vanish off the face of the earth. So, no, I did have to come.”

Instead of giving a retort, Victor merely sighed, letting his arms fall to his side, “Fine.” He pushed off the wall, making his way towards the exit.

“Hey!” Yuri frowned, “Where are you going?!”

Victor came to a stop, keeping his back facing the younger man, “I’m going to the deck. _If that’s okay_.”

Without waiting for a response, he left the room, leaving Yuri and Makkachin alone.

* * *

The sun had long since set, the moon taking its place amongst the stars. Victor leaned against the railing, one leg sticking out to maintain his balance. Only, you know, gracefully. He could already imagine Lilia yelling at him about his posture, how it wasn’t proper to stand like a hooligan.

He stared across the water, mind empty and a hole growing in his chest. The rest of the crew had already retired for the night, leaving Victor in perfect solitude.

It was not entirely odd to have time to himself, most of the hands on deck were already busy with their job aboard the ship, and having to stop to cater to the whims of Victor was Yuri’s job. So, similar to when he was home back in Russia, Victor took the lack of human interaction with stride. Besides, he had Makkachin. Victor could get through anything, with Makkachin at his side.

Lowering his head, he tried not to notice the absence of his poodle, who remained below deck and was content to nap in her new section of the closet. It was a job well done, even by Victor’s standards. There was even a section dedicated just to the dog’s bone supply. There was no way he was going to take his best friend away from something he had made for her.

Waves lapped up against the side of the ship, diverting his attention below. The voyage had been uneventful thus far, and Victor wasn’t sure how things were going to play out once they reached their destination. Perhaps his future husband was going to be completely lovely and try his best to accommodate Victor, or would he ignore him? And Victor would be doomed to be in a loveless marriage until he eventually died, pitiful and lonely with only his dog for company.

A fear struck him.

What if this Leroy guy… hated dogs? And got rid of Makkachin?

Shivering at the thought, Victor kept his head down. There was no way he was leaving Makkachin anywhere. She was his light, and he thanked her every day for being in his life.

A fierce breeze flew by, beating at Victor’s back. The force of it had Victor taking hold of the railing but it was too late. There was a swerve as the boat veered suddenly to the left, and the combination of that and the wind was enough for Victor to lose his balance, falling headfirst into the water below.

He quickly resurfaced, his arms flailing to keep him upright. Teeth chattering, Victor looked on in shock as the USS Makkachin cheerfully sailed away into the night.

Without Victor.

“W-wait! Yuri! Makkachin! Yuri!!!”

Back aboard the ship, surrounded by hundreds of dog toys, Makkachin perked her head up, looking around for her owner. When she didn’t see him, she got up, making her way to the deck. With still no sign of Victor, she sniffed the floor, following his scent until she reached the side of the ship. She stood on her hind legs, peering over the side of the ship.

Still no Victor.

With a whine, Makkachin lowered herself, padding her way back to her master’s room.

* * *

_“It’s a beautiful morning here at Elk Cove, I’m Sara Crispino, and we have some exciting news! Early this morning, local fishermen happened upon a mystery man!”_

_The camera pans to show a picture of a silver haired man looking dazed. The picture shrinks in size, relocating to the corner of the screen as the newscaster appears again._

_“There’s been no confirmation as to who this man is or where he came from.” She reaches up to her ear, nodding before turning to gaze back to the camera, “We have our own Michele Crispino on the scene with said fisherman who found our mystery man! Mickey?”_

_The camera now shows a similar looking man to the newscaster, who also has a hand to his ear before turning to the camera. “Thank you, Sara. We have Cao Bin, who found the man…”_

* * *

With the loss of his tools, Yuuri found himself at a severe disadvantage.

“Don’t sweat it!” Christophe Giacometti gave the other man a firm pat on the backside, laughing merrily when his hand was smacked away. “I’ll help you get some more tools, and in the meantime,” he leered over his own glasses, “we can share.”

Yuuri snorted into his cup of orange juice, giving a nod of thanks to Yuuko Nishigori as she placed a plate with a sandwich in front of him. He gave a fond glare to his friend, “I never want to share anything with you.”

“Yuuri!” A hand at his chest, Chris gasped, “Such a cruel man! And here I am, trying to help you out!”

Giving a shake of his head, Yuuri idled at eating his sandwich, “I never asked for your help, I can handle this on my own.”

There was a quick tsk, but Chris made no move to rehash what was a familiar argument.

“Fine.” The older man sipped his beer, “But just know, if you ever need it, you can call me. Even if it’s the middle of the night.”

Yuuri opened his mouth, about to retort when his eyes caught the TV screen. He froze, sandwich midway to his mouth before he dropped it back on the plate. “Yuu-chan!”

Yuuko paused on her way to the kitchen, “Yuuri-kun?”

Waving his arms, he gestured towards the TV, “Can you—the TV—turn up the volume, please?”

“Um… sure…” Without missing a beat, she disappeared into the kitchens, reappearing with a remote in hand and the volume of the TV immediately went up.

“—terious man! Excuse me, sir! Can you tell us your name?”

There was a close up of the silver haired man, who held a hand against his head, “Of course I know who I am. I’m…” His lips lowered into a frown, “I’m… I know who I am… Ugh…” Eyes clenching shut, he shoved at the microphone, “Get that out of my face…”

The reporter turned back to the camera, eyes bright, “As you can see, the man seems to have a case of amnesia! If anyone knows or can help identify this man, please come to Elk Cove Gener—“

The sound of the reporter was drowned out as Yuuri pointed wildly at the screen, “That’s him!”

“Him?” Chris tilted his head, “The guy who threw you off his boat?”

“What?” Shaking his head, Yuuri continued to point at the TV screen, “No! He didn’t push me off his boat, some other guy did. But this guy had me remodel his entire closet!” Abruptly, he spun around so he was facing the other man, “He remodeled his closet for his dog.”

“I… see…” Chris glanced at Yuuko from the corner of his eye. “And… now what? Are you going to go to the hospital? Tell the guy who he is? Help him get back to his boat?”

At the barrage of questions, Yuuri felt himself deflate. “I… don’t know. Last I saw, his boat was heading out to sea. And…” He looked back at the TV, where the man’s picture was blown up, “if he doesn’t remember who he is, how would he get in contact with his family?”

Chris let out a hum, folding his arms and leaning against the counter, “Let’s say you show up at the hospital, you tell him who he is, and he doesn’t believe you. Then what? Take him home? Have him work off what he owes you?”

“I…” Yuuri trailed off. The man, Victor he remembers, barely bothered him while he was working aboard his ship, only came into the room to grab something occasionally, and when he was out on deck, Yuuri only heard the voices of the deckhands. Briefly, he wondered what sort of man this Victor was, that even though he was clearly missing, no one had shown up yet to claim him. If he was missing aboard a ship, surely someone would notice and they would return to the last port?

Tightening his jaw, he finally turned away from the TV.

“I have a plan.”

* * *

After sending Chris back to his place, Yuuri scrubbed his hands harshly against his cheeks, giving them a smack to jolt him before briskly walking to his truck. Vicchan gave a small woof in the passenger seat, standing up on his hind legs to peer through the slightly rolled down window. Yuuri strolled to the driver’s side, opening the door and hopping in as he turned the ignition on.

“Come on Vicchan,” he gave the toy poodle a small glance, “we’re off to help someone.”

The drive to the Elf Cove General Hospital was close to twenty minutes, and as Yuuri pulled into a free parking spot, he turned towards the passenger seat. Vicchan’s tongue hung out, the poodle tilting his head before moving forward to press his head against Yuuri’s side.

“Okay.” Giving the dog a pat on the head, he took a deep breath. “I got this.”

* * *

“For a while there, we thought no one was going to claim him!” The doctor, Morooka, directed Yuuri into one of the many hallways of the hospital, turning the corner before double doors leading into a ward. “Now he has some amnesia, hopefully seeing you will help jog it back.”

Yuuri kept his small smile frozen on his face. This wasn’t going to work. Victor was going to take one look at him and say “That’s that carpenter that was thrown off my boat!” or “I don’t know this pervert! He could be anyone off the street!”

The guilt resonated in his gut.

In his hands was a bag containing what Victor was wearing when his was discovered and Yuuri clung to it, his knuckles turning white.

“Now,” Morooka continued, “when he was found, he was muttering a few words. The fisherman who found him said they were… Yuri and Makkachin? We asked him what they meant, but of course he had no idea.” He paused just before entering the ward, “Do they sound familiar to you?”

“Um…” Feeling his smile falter for just a second, Yuuri willed it to stay, “I’m Yuuri. And Makkachin… we try not to mention her since she…” He gave a small shrug, smile finally falling after faking it for so long.

Morooka’s eyes widened and then he nodded, “I see…” He opened the double doors, “This way.”

Yuuri entered through the doors, following Morooka as he turned the corner until he came upon a room. He peered inside.

There was one man sitting in front of a TV, staring at the blank screen. A woman sat at a table, a puzzle half-finished. A second man had his back to the TV, a checkers board laid out on the table. As Yuuri looked into the room, the second man glanced around the room as he reached forward, picking up a checkers piece and raising it to his mouth.

Yuuri quickly looked away, immediately finding Victor entering the room from a neighboring door. The man’s hair was in disarray, desperately in need of a good brushing, and he was dressed in only hospital scrubs.

Without waiting for Morooka’s prompting, Yuuri slipped in the bag into his coat and entered into the room, “Victor!”

Victor froze, as well as the rest of the room’s occupants. Nobody moved and Yuuri felt his composure weakening. Behind him, Morooka shut the door quietly and watched on in silence.

Clearing his throat, Yuuri tried again, this time taking a step forward, “Victor, it’s me. Your husband, Yuuri.”

At the sound of his name, Victor perked up, literally. His eyes brightened and there was a small gasp when he suddenly deflated.

“But… I don’t recognize you.” He glanced over Yuuri’s shoulder, “I don’t know this man.”

The words were final, and a cold sweat began to trail down Yuuri’s back. This wasn’t going to work. Morooka moved around him, holding up his hands as if to calm down the other man.

“As we stated before, the amnesia might be broken by seeing someone you know, or not. That’s the tricky thing about it.”

Placing a finger against his lips, Victor turned away, before snapping his fingers together, “Okay!” He twirled on his heel, “What’s my last name then?”

Yuuri gave a small smile, “Katsuki, of course.”

“No, no!” Shaking his hands and head, he moved forward, face close to Yuuri’s, “My given name, before we married.”

Pausing for only a second, Yuuri reached forward, tangling their fingers together, “Ivanov. We decided not to hyphenate. Katsuki-Ivanov didn’t have a nice ring to it.”

“Where did we meet?”

Now that he was on a roll, Yuuri found he couldn’t stop, “Ice Castle, you used to hang out there all the time when you were working at BurgerTown.”

“The—“ Victor stepped back, their hands separating as his eyes only got bigger behind his frayed bangs. “I was what?”

“Yeah!” Words continued to fall from his mouth and Yuuri watched on in horror, “You were employee of the month, five months running. A personal record!”

“I…” Lowering himself into the nearest seat, Victor stared at his hands, lying face up on his lap, “I don’t remember anything.” His head snapped up, finding the doctor still by the door. “Are you sure, this man is who he says he is? He could just be someone from the street.”

“Hmm…” Morooka nodded, giving Yuuri a side-eye look, “He has a point. Do you have any form of identification?”

The sweat pooled at the bottom of his spine, and Yuuri forced himself not to gulp. Of course this was a bad idea. He didn’t know what he was thinking when he came up with it. And now, after everything, he was going to fuck it up.

“There’s one thing.” He gestured for Morooka to come closer, only continuing once the doctor was right in front of him, and leaned in to whisper into Morooka’s ear. “There’s a small… poodle-shaped… birthmark. It’s… kinda high…” He trailed off, motioning his hand to the area above his butt.

There was movement as Victor stood, walking over to where the TV was still sitting, not turned on, and used it as a shield as he lifted his shirt, and pulled at the elastic of his pants.

Yuuri dared not to exhale, afraid if he did he would deflate and fly about the room, leaving only a shell of himself probably stuck on the ceiling fan.

It took a full minute before Victor slowly raised his head, a look of complete disbelief on his face as he turned back to Yuuri. “No way…”

Morooka slapped Yuuri on the back, a laugh echoing throughout the room. “Well, he’s all yours!”

* * *

“So!” Victor’s voice carried along on the breeze, as Vicchan yelped and licked at his chin, “What was I doing in the ocean?”

Yuuri bit his lower lip, focusing all his attention on the road and not on the man beside with him with toy poodle, “Oh, sometimes you do that. Especially when you need to think.”

Patting Vicchan on the head, Victor leaned back, “That doesn’t sound like something I would do.”

“Well,” There was a hint of teasing in his voice, “Hard to tell, seeing as you don’t remember.”

“Yuuri!”

The wind blew through the open windows, something he needed to get fixed before the raining season started, forcing him to slick his hair out of his eyes, “It was Makkachin.”

Beside him, Victor stilled, even as the car was jostled by the rough terrain. “Makkachin?”

Nodding, Yuuri continued, “You used to swim together all the time. But…” He felt a little guilty, as the thought of the sweet standard poodle flashed through his mind, “after she passed, you wanted one last swim, in memory of her.”

Vicchan whined, and Yuuri took the risk at finally glancing to the man next to him.

And firmly hit the brakes.

“Hey.” Reaching out, Yuuri let himself cup Victor’s face, rubbing his thumbs across his cheeks and trying, and failing, to stop the tears that fell. “Are you alright?”

“I…” Tears renewed, Vicchan trying valiantly to lap them up as they fell, “I don’t know Makkachin. I know the word but I _don’t_ …”

Heart constricting, Yuuri released Victor’s face, this time going for a full hug and calmly patting the other man on the back, “It’s okay, it’s alright. I…” Guilt continued to fester, “I have some photos of her. I’ll show you once we get back.”

Victor nodded, tears staining Yuuri’s shirt.

* * *

“What’s taking him so long?” Yuuri turned to look at his boys, nerves buzzing high at the innocent looks on their faces. “You got him the right sizes, right?”

Seung-gil merely shrugged as Phichit leaned forward, “Chris said he needed clothes. So we got clothes. No one mentioned sizing.”

“Oh God.”

There was a gasp and Yuuri lowered his hands from his face, “What now, Kenjirou.”

“Did we do something wrong?” It was soft, and instantly Yuuri regretted everything that had happened so far that day.

“No.” He gave a weak smile, “Thanks for going along with this.”

“You’re so going to jail if he finds out.” Seung-gil frowned, “And I want no part of it.” At his feet, his local Husky, Gongjunim, laid her head on his knees.

“Everything will be fine!” Guang Hong clasped his hands together, “I’m sure of it!”

Doubt wormed its way into Yuuri’s head. Already he thought his cover was blown, when he first brought Victor to their quaint little house at the edge of the woods. At least he hadn’t fainted. And he responded well when Yuuri explained how they adopted Seung-gil, Phichit, Guang Hong, and Kenjirou.

Now they waited as Victor changed into something that the boys had acquired at the local Goodwill. Chris was a lot of things, but he came through as Yuuri knew he would.

Hesitantly, Yuuri moved over to the main bedroom and knocked softly on the door. “Victor? Is everything alright? You’ve been in there for some time now…?”

There was movement from behind the door before it slowly opened, and Victor made his way out into the living room.

Yuuri tried and failed to keep his mouth shut.

“So,” Victor kept his eyes towards the floor as he lifted a piece of his outfit, “Aside from the color scheme… let’s talk about how this is three times too big?”

Ignoring the snickers coming from the couch, Yuuri willed himself to stay calm. “It’s not that bad.”

“ _Not that bad_?” The skepticism dripped from Victor’s tongue.

Adorning his body was a light blue dress covered in floral print that had been dulled from overuse. The bottom touched the floor, completely covering his feet while the neckline was so stretched, it fell off his left shoulder, exposing his skin.

Yuuri tried, and failed, to keep his attention away from the fact that if Victor moved just an inch, the dress would shift and unveil his nipple.

Shutting his mouth, Yuuri nodded, praying the next words out of his mouth wouldn’t condemn him.

“You like this wear this to bed. You’ve always said how comfy it is.”

Victor let out a hum as he released his hold on the dress, this time taking two fistfuls of it so he could easily walk around the room without tripping on the hem. The neckline shifted, revealing some more of his back.

As he made his way to the couch, Yuuri tried, and failed, to keep a whimper from passing his lips.

He was so doomed.

* * *

Monday night was leftover night, so Yuuri left his boys to their own devices for dinner, instead tightening his shoelaces before heading to the front door.

“Wait!”

He paused, hand already on the doorknob.

Victor came to a stop, hand hovering over Yuuri’s shoulder. His dress trailed behind him, swishing around his legs. “Where are you going?” It was small, the words, and Yuuri forced himself to keep his eyes up.

“I’m going to meet up with the guys. I won’t be home late.” Giving his kids a small glance, he refocused on Victor’s face, “I won’t be home late,” he repeated, laying a palm against Victor’s cheek, “I promise.”

Victor gave a short nod, unconsciously pressing his face into Yuuri’s open palm, “Okay.”

Letting himself indulge in the feel of Victor’s skin against his hand was tempting, but all too soon Yuuri removed his hand, opening the front door and tossing a wave, “I’ll be out for a few hours. Boys, you have class tomorrow so don’t stay up too late!”

“Okay!”

“Got it!”

The door swung shut as Yuuri made his way to his truck, Vicchan chasing his heels. He paused right outside his truck, giving his poodle a friendly pat on the head, “You have to stay here tonight, Vicchan. Keep watch over my boys.” He glanced up to see Victor watching him from the window.

The next words were quiet, his eyes keeping in contact with Victor’s, “All of them.”

* * *

“I’m going to die.”

Chris snorted into his beer, giving a pat with his free hand to his friend who was slumped over the bar. “You’ll be fine, Yuuri.”

A groan resounded from the depth, “I told you to tell the boys clothes. They got him a muumuu.”

From the corner of the bar, Takeshi gave off the air of minding his own business, but Chris could tell he was eavesdropping.

“Okay, to be fair, your exact words were ‘Chris, I need clothes. I don’t care what kind, just something fast.’ So, technically, a muumuu was fine.”

A howl, “He’s so _tall_.”

Chris leaned against the bar, poking the huddled mess next to him, “Was the dress not big enough? I made sure to tell them to get different sizes, just to be safe.”

Yuuri slowly raised his head, his eyes remaining closed as he sighed, “The dress was so big it was falling off of him.”

Chris let out a hoot as Yuuri reached for his glass, downing it in one gulp, slamming the glass back on the counter, “Nishigori! Another!”

“Right away!”

“So,” Chris drummed his fingers on the counter, as Yuuri emptied another glass of beer, “what are you going to do tonight? It’s your first night together.” He wiggled his eyebrows, ending the motion in a wink.

Yuuri dropped his head into his hands, groaning once more, “Don’t remind me…”

Taking a sip from his own glass, Chris gave a small hum, “Well, whatever you plan to do, go easy on him.”

“Ugh, why are you like this…”

“You love it, don’t deny it.”

Raising his head once more, Yuuri called over the bartender with a wave of his hand, “Nishigori, I’m closing my tab for the night. What do I owe you?”

Takeshi opened his mouth, about to give an estimate when Chris leaned in close, wrapping an arm around Yuuri’s shoulders, “Don’t worry about it, I got it. Just have plenty of fun tonight and don’t skip on the details tomorrow!”

“I hate you so much…” Despite the joyful laughter from his companion, Yuuri waved off any concerns from Takeshi, wishing both a goodnight as he made his way to his trunk.

He was going to get through the night. Somehow.

* * *

The lights were off by the time Yuuri rolled up the driveway. He quietly opened the front door, ears straining for any noise yet hearing none. He maneuvered around the one floorboard that was loose, until he reached the main bedroom. Opening the door, he found Victor, wrapped in his comforter like a cocoon. Vicchan was nestled beside him, a paw covering his nose. When Yuuri entered, the poodle briefly lifted his head before laying it back down.

Softly he clicked the door shut behind him before moving to the dresser, taking out a pair of old shorts and an oversized shirt from when he was putting on weight. While in the middle of switching his shirts, a rustle was heard next to him. Popping his head through the top of the shirt, he turned to find Victor, sitting up in bed, eyes wide and cheeks dusted pink.

The muumuu was wrinkled from use, one end of the neckline rubbing up against Victor’s neck while the other side exposing his side as if he were wearing a toga.

Aware of the staring, Victor shifted, adjusting his dress so the other sleeve was resting on his shoulder.

It was both better and worse. Due to the stretching, the neckline dipped, giving Yuuri ample view of Victor’s pale skin beneath the fabric.

Yuuri brought his fist to his mouth, coughing a bit into it before lowering it, “I uh… didn’t mean to wake you.”

“It’s fine.”

Pursing his lips together, Victor pulled some of the blanket away moving over so he was closer to the edge of the bed. At the jostling, Vicchan gave a small whine, letting himself resettle on Yuuri’s half of the bed.

Yuuri stared.

The dusting of pink traveled from Victor’s cheeks down to his neck and onto the pale expanse of his chest, “You’re going to sleep, right?”

“I…” His cheeks burned, due to the alcohol he consumed or the sheer awkwardness he felt he didn’t know, “I forgot to mention, before I went out.”

Victor blinked, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the sheets.

“I can’t sleep on this, the mattress—it’s bad for my back. I… I usually sleep on the couch.”

“Oh.”

Knuckles regained their color as Victor loosened the grip on the blanket.

“Well,” He lowered himself back onto the bed, “Good night, then.”

“Good night.”

Without looking back, Yuuri ran.

* * *

_It was bright. Almost alarmingly so. Every surface was covered in a shade of gold was that blinding to the eye._

_Victor raised a hand to his face, shielding his eyes from the glare._

_Everywhere he looked found someone decked out in gold dresses, gold suits, gold gold gold…_

_He lowered his head, the harshness of the scene overwhelming. Opening his eyes, a small gasp escaped his lips._

_Instead of obnoxious gold, his outfit consisted of soft pink and white while his pants were dark as the night. The only hint of gold was on his shoulder and three pieces that were attached at the front._

_The suit clung to his skin, and even though the shirtfront was open, giving the hint of his chest away, it was overall restricting. Taking a deep breath, Victor willed his heart to slow down. The flesh on his arm itched and when he went to rub the affected area, he found his hands captive in another’s._

_He was spinning, the room blurring into one massive eyesore as Victor grew more and more dizzy._

_And just as quickly the spinning started, it abruptly ended._

_Victor lurched forward, his forehead finding home in the stranger’s shoulder. Arms wrapped around his body, the former itch slowly receding as the warmth from the stranger’s body filled him up._

_The stranger’s suit was similar to his own, only in dark blues and silver accents where his was gold._

_The stark contrast of the colors bore a new urge in Victor, who lifted his head to see just who had spun him around the room. As his eyes focused on the mystery man’s face, a burst of confetti rang out, falling from the ceiling, directly in front of Victor’s vision._

_The arms around him vanished, the absence resonating in him, covering his body in shivers instead of warmth. Victor opened his mouth to cry out, to ask for the stranger’s name, anything, but confetti flew past his lips, covering his eyes, choking him until all he saw and felt and tasted was hard and cold and metallic._

Victor shot forward, the blanket falling into his lap as Vicchan whined from his spot next to the pillow. The poodle nestled his way into his lap, standing on his hind legs and pushing his front paws against Victor’s chest. His tongue hung out, and it was only then that Victor reached up to touch his wet cheek, no doubt from Vicchan’s early morning kisses.

Leaning forward, he enveloped the toy poodle into a hug, not even caring that the saliva was drying on his skin.

From beyond the bedroom door, there were hush whispers, and despite how much he strained his ears, he couldn’t determine what they were saying.

Keeping his arms around the poodle, Victor slid off the bed, holding Vicchan close to his chest as he padded across the room. The bedroom door swung open just as he neared, forcing him to stop.

“Oh.” Yuuri paused at the entrance, mug in hand as his eyes widened. As if he hadn’t expected Victor to be awake.

At the appearance of the other man, Vicchan began to wiggle, squirming until Victor let him free, watching as the small dog raced out of the room and began chasing the husky around the living room.

Victor stood, keeping his eyes lowered until a mug was placed in his line of vision.

“For you,” Yuuri held out the cup, steam rising from its contents, “Did… did you sleep well?”

Taking the offered cup, Victor let the warmth seep into his palms, “It was alright. Thank you for the tea.” He glanced at the other man, noting that the four youths in the living room were paying attention to their every word.

“I know,” Yuuri started, pausing for only a moment before starting again, “I know the doctor said you need to go about what you normally do to get your memory back, but…” He seemed to freeze up, held at a loss, “I think you should rest for today?” He lifted his head, “The boys have school until 3, and I’ll be at the local rec center teaching classes, but you’ll have the whole house to yourself, make yourself comfortable. Yuu-ch—that is—Yuuko knows you won’t be in today for your shift, after what’s happened.”

A stuttered cough was heard in the living room but Yuuri kept his eyes on Victor.

“I… okay.”

* * *

“Yuu-chan, I need a favor.”

“Anything, Yuuri-kun.”

Yuuri Katsuki was in deep shit.

Once his boys were packed and ready for school, they headed out, and Yuuri took that time to remind Victor where things were, in case he needed something. He was pointing out something in their shared closet when Victor’s eyes glazed over, only responding once he waved a hand repeatedly in his face.

There was a moment of silence before the other man said the very words that shook his core.

“I remember.”

“You… you do?”

“There was a closet. And you.” Victor frowned, “A poodle?” He glanced down, at Vicchan who remained faithfully at his heel.

“Sometimes!” Yuuri squeaked, “Sometimes you like to model for me. And Vicchan. When we get new clothes.” He nodded, “Especially when the boys aren’t around.”

“I see…”

The moment was broken the next moment as Vicchan took off, spotting a rogue hamster.

As soon as Victor was placated, Yuuri himself took off, headed to the Nishigori Diner, where Yuuko was inside prepping for the day. And it was there that he unveiled his dilemma to his childhood friend, who he knew would listen to him no matter what he did and be behind him 100%.

“Alright, Yuuri-kun, I know I said anything but…” Yuuko bit her lip, hand resting above her swollen belly. She sighed, “Okay. I’ll talk to Takeshi-kun, so he’s aware of what’s going on.” She raised her free hand, when Yuuri opened his mouth, “I won’t tell this husband of yours anything, but you have to promise me, you’ll tell him the truth.”

“I will. Thank you Yuu-chan. I really do owe you.”

“Yuuri-kun,” Yuuko leaned against the counter, shifting her weight, “You know the Nishigoris will always have your back.” She gave her stomach a soft pat, “Once these girls come through, they will too.”

* * *

The next day, Victor woke up bright and early, even before the rest of the house stirred. He bounced on the back of his heels, as he waited for Yuuri to move from his spot on the sofa.

The previous day had him lying around the house, with mostly nothing to do. Vicchan and Gongjunim rested at his feet from where he was on the couch, keeping his toes warm and he found himself dozing into the morning. Once he managed to extract himself from the couch, he had no idea how Yuuri could sleep on that thing, he found a book to bury his nose in before his stomach rumbled.

Despite the fact that Yuuri had reminded him where everything was, Victor stuck to something simple and made a quick sandwich, letting himself sit on the porch to enjoy the scenery. As soon as he was done, he returned his dishes to the sink, pausing only once he noticed that other dishes were in the sink.

And it was like that that Yuuri found him, once he and the rest of the Katsuki clan returned home. Victor had tied up his bangs so they were out of his eyes, muumuu replaced with loose pants and a tank top he found buried at the bottom of the closet, duster in hand, vacuum off in a corner, ready to be used once he was done cleaning the dust off the ceiling fan.

But now, with the house clean, and his body brimming with energy, Victor was ready to start the day and head to work. It was annoying he didn’t remember everything, yes, but he was sure once he got back into the swing of things, everything would come together.

The clock on the kitchen wall chimed, signaling the start of a new hour and Victor didn’t have to wait long before the inhabitants joined him in the kitchen. Seung-gil let the dogs outside, Phichit got started on breakfast, his hamsters resting on his shoulders and head, while Kenjirou and Guang Hong prepped their lunches.

Yuuri was last to rise, accepting a cup of tea from Phichit and smiling as Vicchan ran back inside, tracking mud through the living room.

As soon as breakfast was eaten, the boys went about getting ready for school, saying their goodbyes as they exited the house, leaving Yuuri and Victor alone.

“Well,” Yuuri brushed his hands against his pants, “Let’s go?”

The drive was a blur, the scenery blending together before the town unveiled itself, and Yuuri turned down a side street, cutting the engine once he rolled into a parking spot.

“Here we are, Nishigori Diner!”

“How cute!” Victor hopped out of the truck, hands clasped together and he took in the building. The outside gave off the appearance of a Japanese castle, with fish statues doing handstands at the very top.

The main door swung open, a robust man leading a very much pregnant woman outside.

“Takeshi, I can walk on my own—“ She caught sight of them, her eyes brightening as she let go of the other man’s arm, taking her time down the steps, stopping just as she reached the truck. “Yuuri-kun! Victor! You’re right on time. Come in,” She motioned Victor forward, who complied and she looped their arms together, “We have everything ready for you inside. We’ve missed you, Victor. The diner hasn’t been the same without you.”

“It hasn’t?”

Walking up the steps, Yuuko shook her head, “Nope.” They entered the establishment, leaving Yuuri and Nishigori alone outside.

Once the door was firmly shut, Takeshi folded his arms, “Yuuko told me what’s up.”

Yuuri gulped.

“I’ll keep your secret, Yuuri. Don’t worry.” Takeshi let out a sigh before stepping down the stairs, giving Yuuri a firm pat on the back, “That Victor’s quite a catch though. Don’t screw this up!”

“Nishigori!!”

Inside, after directing Victor to the locker room, Yuuko had taken a seat by the hostess stand, her slippers placed beneath her chair. She and her husband had already discussed the game plan in detail. Victor would help out in the kitchen, cleaning dishes the first week and then after that assisting Takeshi with the food, if he was interested. Takeshi had already pointed out the cons of the plan, which she was aware of. If one of the regulars commented on the new addition to the diner, Victor would raise suspicions. If he had worked there before, why were people acting like they hadn’t seen him before?

But Yuuko was sure, with the right amount of deception, even though she was against it, they could pull it off. At least until Yuuri came clean and told Victor the truth.

She rested a hand on her swollen stomach. It was almost a godsend, Yuuri asking them to hire this person he rescued from the hospital, just the day after the doctor insisted Yuuko go on bedrest. Truth be told, Yuuko didn’t want to lay in bed all day with nothing to do. She much preferred being out and about, working until she collapsed at the end of the day and slept until the next morning. But she was aware that even standing for short periods of time resulted in swollen feet and ankles. Walking to the kitchen already had her out of breath.

They had come to a standstill, Takeshi pushing for her to stay home, while Yuuko put up a fight, wanting to stay at the diner and help out.

Takeshi had come up with a compromise. Yuuko could stay at the diner and help out, but she would be sitting at the hostess stand. If at any point her feet started to swell, though, he was ready to drop everything and take her home.

The door to the employee backroom opened, revealing Victor in a pair of khakis and a dark blue shirt with an anime character on the front over his heart.

“How do I look?”

* * *

At 4pm, the doors to the Nishigori Diner burst open, revealing four familiar faces.

Yuuko raised her head from the stand, blinking when she registered who appeared, “Phichit, what are you doing here?”

Kenjirou darted forward, “We’re here to take Victor to the ice rink!”

“We thought it might be nice,” Guang Hong spoke from the doorway.

Seung-gil crossed his arms over his chest, “It was Phichit’s idea.”

“If Yuuri comes by, tell him where we are?” Phichit leaned up into Yuuko’s space, eyes glistening in the florescent lighting.

“Okay okay!” Holding in a giggle, Yuuko slipped off her stool, “Let me go tell him his ride is here.”

She took two steps before Takeshi popped his head out from the kitchens, “Boys! Here for Victor?” At their nodding, he drew his head back. “Victor! Your ride is here!”

It was another ten minutes before Victor appeared, no longer in his uniform, but in his regular clothes. He looked up, stopping once he realized who was here to get him.

“Where’s Yuuri?”

Phichit strolled forward, wrapping an arm around Victor’s shoulders, even though their heights differed, “No way, you’re ours today!”

Kenjirou nodded vigorously, “We’re going to the ice rink!”

At the words, Victor’s eyes sparkled, “Ice rink?”

Once at the rink, time seemed to fly by. At first, Victor clung to the walls, until Seung-gil took him by the hands and they glided to the center of the ice. As soon as they reached the middle, Seung-gil traded Victor off to Phichit, who then had him transferred to Guang Hong until at last he reached Kenjirou. All the while laughing until one bout of trading hands Victor lost his footing, ending up on his butt.

Phichit came to a stop just beside him, holding out a hand for Victor to take, “Alright, I think that’s enough for one day.” He looked around at his brothers, “We should head home, start getting dinner ready.” He locked on Guang Hong, “Chinese tonight, right?”

“Right!”

They traded in their skates, putting their shoes back on before heading back out into the night air. Victor rubbed his arms, blinking as he looked around, “I didn’t realize how late it got.”

“Ah.” Phichit winced as his checked his phone. “We might be in trouble.”

* * *

“When Yuuko and Nishigori told me you took Victor to the ice rink, I was under the impression you would be home at a more reasonable time.”

Seung-gil, Phichit, Guang Hong, and Kenjirou sat on the couch, heads lowered with their hands on their laps as Yuuri walked back and forth in front of them. Victor stood off to the side, his lower lip nestled between his teeth.

Yuuri paced once more for emphasis before deflating, “Just… don’t do this again.”

The four on the couch raised their heads as Yuuri retreated to the kitchen area. He opened a cabinet, tossing a bag of rice in Guang Hong’s direction, “Chinese, tonight? Or are we switching it up and doing Korean?”

The bag fumbled in Guang Hong’s hands until he gripped it, “Chinese! Tomorrow is Korean night!”

As dinner was being prepared, Yuuri slipped away from the kitchen area, to where Victor remained in the corner.

“Hey.”

Victor kept his eyes on the boys making dinner, as they joked and jostled the ingredients, “Hi.”

Placing a gentle hand on Victor’s arm, Yuuri followed his lead, watching the boys create dinner, with Guang Hong in charge, “Was work okay?”

A breath escaped, almost as if a sigh of relief, “Yuuko is amazing. Takeshi is, too.” His fingers slid on top of Yuuri’s, “Right now they think it’ll be better if I work in the back, until I get used to everything again.”

Nodding, Yuuri let himself lean against the wall, his fingers threading through Victor’s, “And the ice rink?”

Even though Victor stayed silent, his grip on Yuuri’s fingers tightened.

* * *

It hit him with clarity, a few weeks into Victor’s stay. It was the weekend, someone had suggested due to the fine weather that they should venture to the local park and have a barbeque. With a unanimous vote, they trekked to the park, both Gonjunim and Vicchan leashed, though due to Phichit’s dismay, his hamsters had to stay home.

They staked out a table, near a grill, and began to set up the assorted dishes that were already prepared when a voice rang through the trees.

“Yuuri!”

“Chris!”

Victor glanced up from where he was watching the hamburgers on the grill. A tall blond man swung an arm over Yuuri’s shoulders, giving him a firm squeeze as he waved around a greeting. Accompanying him was another man with dark wavy locks.

Feeling a frown starting to form on his face, Victor turned back to the meat simmering. He flipped one, checking to see how it was faring. Laughter rang out behind him, a shrill to his eardrums. He flipped the rest, not even bothering to check them.

He didn’t know why he was feeling so… There was no reason why seeing someone hang all over Yuuri had him so shaken. Yuuri was married to him, even though they didn’t sleep in the same bed, and Yuuri never tried to kiss him, but then again, Victor hadn’t tried either, and if he really thought about it, they were sometimes left alone, the boys running off to who knows where and they were left to their own devices. Those nights could have easily become date nights so—

“Victor!”

Jerking away from the grill, the spatula falling from his grasp, he whipped around to find Yuuri and his clingy friend watching him curiously. Yuuri stepped forward, giving distance between him and the other guy, and coming closer to Victor.

“Victor, are you alright?”

“I…” Sizzling and popping filled the air as Victor bent down to pick up the now dirty spatula. “Yeah. I was just thinking.”

Nodding, Yuuri continued forward, only stopping to take the spatula from his hand. “You remember Christophe? And his husband Masumi?”

 _No_ , Victor’s traitorous mind pointed out, _I don’t know them, and sometimes I don’t know you and even though the doctor said I would regain my memories, I haven’t but at this point I don’t think I want my old memories back because I have new ones with you_.

Victor let himself give a little smile, “I’m really sorry… Christophe, was it? Doesn’t ring a bell.” Yuuri shot him a look but he gave it no mind, instead stepping back, “I’m going to check up on Vicchan, he went into the bushes and he hasn’t come out yet.” Turning on his heel, he kept his back straight, just like he was taught all those years ago, and—

He froze.

A hand rested on his arm, light as if not to scare him, “Victor?”

He sagged, falling into strong arms and a firm chest. “I thought I remembered… but then it vanished again.”

Yuuri tightened his grip, leading him to the table. “Sit down, rest a while? Seung-gil will watch over the food.”

Seung-gil merely clicked his tongue, but dutifully went over next to the grill.

Once Victor was settled at the table, Yuuri took the spot beside him, his hand resting on Victor’s back. They sat, the sounds of their children and friends filling the air. A few minutes or seconds passed before Victor shifted, laying his head onto Yuuri’s shoulder.

“Yuuri?”

“Hm?” His hand began to move up and down Victor’s back, the small ministrations soothing.

“What do you want me to be to you?”

“That’s…”

“A friend? A maid? Someone who cooks and cleans for you?”

Yuuri remained silent, yet his hand kept moving.

“A lover?”

At the last suggestion, his hand froze, and Victor finally sat up, keeping his eyes towards the ground.

“I…” His hand fell, leaving Victor’s back suddenly aching for the touch. Yuuri turned, reaching forward and gripping Victor’s hands in his. “I want you to be yourself. Just Victor.”

Victor’s hands locked like a vice around his own.

“What if I don’t know who I am?”

His voice was soft, quivering and broken.

Yuuri surged forward, knocking their foreheads together, “Hey, we’re a team, we’ll work it out. Together.”

* * *

“Chris, I have to tell him.”

“Yeah.”

“ _Chris_.”

“What? You said it yourself. You have to tell him the truth eventually.”

 “There will just be times where he’ll be in the middle of saying something and just… zone out.” Yuuri gripped his glass, “I think in those moments, he knows, he knows and he just doesn’t _say anything_.”

Chris rubbed a finger against the rim of his glass, humming softly to himself. “Well—“

“And okay,” Yuuri cut him off, as Takeshi came by to switch out his empty glass with a full one, “it’s been a month? A little over a month? And no one has come to claim him? I mean, I’m surprised I somehow managed to get the doctor to believe me. But you think someone from his previous life would come knocking on the door any day now?” He downed the fresh glass of beer, letting the alcohol fizzle to his head, “Who does that? Who just leaves someone behind in some backwater town for over a month?”

“Whoever was with Victor, I guess.”

“It’s _maddening_. That’s what it is. I can’t even begin to wonder what kind of person does that.”

* * *

_Yuri Plisetsky was a lot of things. But first and foremost, aside from his kickass fashion sense, he prided himself on getting the job done._

_Getting Victor from Point A to Point B to his fiancé was supposed to be an easy gig. His grandpa, and Yakov, and Lilia, trusted him to complete this simple task._

_However, Victor was anything but._

_After Yuri insisted Emil to set the engine at full speed once it was fixed, he retired to his room, content that once they left the slums of Elk Cove he would never have to set foot there again. The next morning, once they were miles and miles away from the coast, he was awoken by the panting of Makkachin and the hissing of Potya._

_It was rare that Makkachin and Potya didn’t get along, despite the fact that Yuri was almost always annoyed at Victor. He groaned, rolling until his feet went over the edge of the bed and landed on the floor. He opened his eyes to finding Makkachin prancing by the door to his room, her nails clicking against the tile._

_Almost as if she was eager for something._

_“What? Can’t you bother Victor?”_

_At the name of her owner, Makkchin seemed to deflate, pressing her head to the floor as a whine left her throat._

_Repressing another groan, Yuri stood, exiting his room and noting how Makkachin bounded along beside him. “I don’t see why you’re not attached to Victor. You’re his only responsibility on this damn boat.” Still, he entered the kitchen area, crouching in front of the cabinet that held the animal food. He gave a small glare, not putting much emphasis on it, as he pulled out a large bag of kibble. “You eat too much.”_

_Once making sure Makkachin was properly fed and Potya had her own dish ready on top of the counter, Yuri left the kitchen, finding the rest of the crew already hard at work._

_He took inventory of the scene, nodding as he watched everyone prepare for the day, however, something felt off._

_Frowning, he took hold of the first person who crossed his path, “Otabek, have you seen Victor?”_

_“No.”_

_Victor was usually one of the first one up, though sometimes he would stay below deck…_

_A shrill rang out through the ship, and Emil popped his head out of a window, “Yakov is on the phone! He needs to talk to Victor!”_

_Yuri rolled his eyes, “Probably to yell at him cause he’s late to meet his fiancé, I bet.” He shook his head at Emil’s questioning gaze, “I’ll go find him, tell Yakov he’ll be right there!”_

_Retracing his steps, he stopped just outside the master suite, not caring at all as he pounded on the door. “Oi, Victor! Open up!” His incessant knocking was met with silence. “Okay, that’s it.” He took a step back, before swinging a roundhouse kick at the door. The door swung open, revealing… an empty room._

_Yuri peeked into the room, finding the bed still made from the night before, Victor’s nightclothes laid out on the bed. Panic swelled up in his chest, and the more he searched the room and came up with nothing, the more his breath began to grow haggard._

_He was in deep shit._

_Victor’s phone laid by his bedside, multiple calls from Yakov left unanswered._

_Shit, shit, Yakov was waiting for Victor to answer the ship phone._

_Yuri raced back to the deck, bounding up to where Emil steered the ship. He grabbed the phone from Emil’s hands, willing his heart to calm down, “Yakov.”_

_“Yuri? Where’s Vitya? I need to talk to him about his engag—“_

_“He can’t come to the phone right now, he’s extremely hungover.”_

_“Well I still need to talk to him. Yuri, give the ph—“_

_“He’ll call you back once he’s feeling better. He didn’t even budge when I checked on him.”_

_“Yuri what—“_

_He abruptly ended the call, not even bothering to answer it as it began to ring in his hand, “Do not,” he glared at Emil, “answer this phone. You need to turn the boat around.”_

_“What—“_

_“Now.”_

_Even at top speed, it still took time to reach the port, Yuri already making provisions to get a ride. When the ship finally docked, he exited, taking two steps at a time and grabbing the first person about if anyone was recently found lost at sea. It took two tries, he scared the first person, to tell him that yes, and they were sent to the Elk Cove General Hospital, would they like directions. Yuri declined, and made sure the car he hired found it with no problem._

_There was, however, another he did not factor in._

_He arrived at the hospital, Otabek in tow. The car stopped just as the front doors of the hospital opened, revealing Victor in hospital scrubs and… the carpenter who remodeled Victor’s closet. Yuri’s vision went red, the only thing holding him back was the seatbelt strapped across his chest. He fumbled with it, trying in vain to get it off when he looked back through the window._

_Victor had stumbled on the way to a beat up truck, and the carpenter rushed to his side, wrapping an arm firmly around Victor’s waist._

_And then Victor smiled._

_Yuri could not remember the last time he saw a genuine smile on Victor’s face._

_Beside him, Otabek unclipped the seatbelt, freeing Yuri from the confines of the car. “Shall we go get him?”_

_They sat, watching as Victor and the carpenter reached the truck, its blue paint fading on the sides. The carpenter opened the door to the passenger side, helping Victor up, stopping once a small poodle jumped from the passenger seat and into Victor’s arms. Victor’s eyes lit up as he cuddled the poodle to his chest, before finally getting into the truck. The carpenter shut the door, moving over to the driver’s side._

_“No. Let’s go back to the ship.”_

_“What about Yakov?”_

_“…I’ll figure something out.”_

* * *

Today was the day.

Yuuri had spent his entire lunch break prepping himself, going over the speech he would give Victor, how if the other man was willing, to give him forgiveness for the deception from the last month and a half.

Yuuko already informed him that Takeshi would take Victor home after his shift ended, so Yuuri knew he would be home. Time ticked by until his own class ended, all the while his nerves were on the fritz. So distracted was he, that one of his students asked him if everything was alright, and he merely waved it off as nothing.

But now he was home, the engine to his truck still running as he took in the sight of his family from the living room window.

Victor sat on the couch, Vicchan in his lap while Kenjirou chatted animatedly beside him. Seung-gil was in the adjacent chair, Gongjunim faithfully lying by his feet as he worked on his homework, while Phichit and Guang Hong sprawled out on the floor, magazines in hand.

Yuuri’s heart clenched in his chest, and before he realized it, was entering the front door. Greetings met him but he heard none, instead focusing on Victor and Victor alone.

“I need to talk to you.”

Tension radiated in the small room.

“Sure. What is it?”

Yuuri let himself catch the eyes of his sons, “Boys, can you give us some privacy?” He waited until the last one disappeared upstairs, kneeling before Victor and taking his hands in his own.

Victor tilted his head, a small smile gracing his face. “Yuuri?”

“I…” Adoration resonated with trust in Victor’s blue blue eyes, “I…” His own eyes flickered, trying to take in all of Victor’s face, words on the tip of his tongue.

“Oh God,” he bowed his head, “I forgot your birthday.”

A gasp escaped Victor’s lips, “It’s my birthday?”

Without answering, Yuuri stood, pulling Victor to his feet, “Come on, get dressed, we need to go celebrate!”

They found themselves back at Nishigori’s, the tables moved to open up a dance floor as the night drew on. In honor of the occasion, Takeshi opened up a brand new bottle of sake, pouring them a round and one for himself. Victor raised the glass, peering at the liquid as Yuuri let out a laugh, “Just drink it!” He raised his own, downing it in one go and smiling wide as Victor followed suit. The other man’s eyes shut tight as the alcohol hit him.

“Was it good?” He asked over the music, getting a nod in return. The song ended as another, more upbeat, started to play. “Hey!” He took Victor’s hand in his own, “Let’s dance?”

“Yes!”

They moved to the dancefloor, Yuuri taking the lead as they did a box step to the music. Victor let out a laugh as his feet missed a step, lurching him forward into Yuuri’s awaiting arms. They stayed in that position, simply swaying to the music even though the other couples around them went more to the beat.

From the bar, Takeshi let out a whistle, alerting them of their audience. Yuuri flushed red as Victor preened, hiding his face into Yuuri’s shoulder. Instantly Yuuri took a step back, forcing the other man to look up, his cheeks dusted pink.

“Victor, keep your eyes on me.”

“Yes,” Victor breathed out, eyes alight in the dark. They moved forward, Yuuri beginning the starting moves of a flamenco, despite the fact it didn’t go to the beat. Victor followed along the best he could, their bodies mirroring each other until Yuuri was pressed up against his back, holding out his arms as their legs stretched out. They ended the dance with Yuuri dipping Victor, resting one hand against his cheek and the other on his thigh. They shared matching grins, as the song ended.

Yuuri slowly brought Victor up, the hand on his thigh rising up until it rested low on his hip. Victor’s arms looped around Yuuri’s shoulders, the residue of a laugh fading from his lips.

A few songs passed, but they stayed put, only jostled out of their reverie when Takeshi came over.

“I hate to break up the party, but it’s late, Yuuri. I’m about to close up for the night.”

Yuuri startled, glancing at his phone to find the time had, in fact, escaped him. His boys would be worried.

They went out to the truck, the silence between them pleasant as they entered the vehicle. They sat, Yuuri making no indication of turning on the engine. He laid his hands upon the steering wheel, as the lights to the diner slowly went off one by one.

“I had fun tonight.”

“Yeah…”

Victor shifted in the passenger seat, fingers twisting around each other, “Yuuri?”

“Hm?” He reached across, settling a hand on top of Victor’s.

“How old am I?”

Twisting in his seat, Yuuri’s other hand rested against Victor’s cheek. His heart soared as the other man nuzzled his face into his palm. His eyes searched Victor’s face, feeling affection radiating from his being.

“Twenty-nine.”

A puff of laughter escaped Victor’s lips as they leaned forward, meeting in the middle. Yuuri looped his arms, one around Victor’s torso and the other around his shoulder, pressing their lips firmly against each other and smiling as he felt Victor do the same.

They remained wrapped up in each other, Victor leaning back until his back was pressed against the passenger seat, bring Yuuri with him. There was a fumble as Yuuri shifted, the gear shift poking him in the hip. With a pop, their kiss broke, and Yuuri rubbed his side. He kept his eyes lowered, focused on his hip while he fought to catch his breath.

He leaned back in his own seat, as the pain lessened, finally risking a glance beside him.

In the passenger seat, Victor rested his head back against the seat, his eyes heavy, cheeks cherry red, lips bruised, his chest stuttering as he regained his breath.

“Is…” He paused, running his tongue against his lips, “Is it always like that?”

Yuuri reached forward, letting his fingers thread through Victor’s hair. “With you, every kiss is like the first time.”

Once they reached their home, Victor holding tight onto Yuuri’s hand, linking their fingers together, he lowered his head, eyes peering through his lashes, “Sleep with me tonight?”

“Of course.”

* * *

The following days it was like a switch was flipped. No more did Yuuri spend his nights sleeping on the couch, but back in his own bed, arms wrapped around Victor while their legs lay entwined beneath the sheets.

One particular morning found Victor alone, Yuuri having woken up before daylight, pressing a light kiss to his temple. When Victor stirred, he was hushed back to sleep, Yuuri carding his fingers through his silver locks.

“Go back to sleep, I’m going fishing with Christophe, I’ll be back in a few hours.” He whispered.

Giving a pout, he reached up to keep Yuuri’s hand against his head, “No, stay here, come back to bed.”

Yuuri let out a soft chuckle, “You know I can’t,” he leaned forward, pressing a kiss against Victor’s lips, “I’ll catch something and dedicate it to you.”

“Ah, just what I wanted. A fish will make a much nicer companion in bed.”

Victor’s eyes shuttered closed, his breathing slowing and Yuuri took that moment to slip his hand away and finish getting ready.

The second time Victor woke, the sun shined its rays through the window, casting its light across the bed. He groaned, sitting up and rubbing his head. Beside him, Vicchan huffed, snuggling deeper into the mattress.

“Well,” Victor slipped off the bed, pulling on a pair of sweatpants, “I’m glad someone is sleeping easy.” He padded over to the door, opening it and finding the living room empty save for Gongjunim. The husky was spread against the carpet in front of the couch.

A glance at the clock revealed it was well past ten o’clock.

“Oh.” Victor mused, taking in the dirty dishes in the sink, “I hadn’t realized I slept so late.”

Gongjunim rolled over, her tongue hanging out as she watched Victor start the dishes.

Vicchan appeared, while Victor was hands deep in soapy water. The toy poodle stopped just by his feet, sitting back on his hind legs as he peered up. When Victor continued the simple household chore, the poodle whined, expecting attention he was clearly not getting. Vicchan lifted his paws, using Victor’s long legs as leverage but barely reached past his knees.

“Aw, Vicchan,” Victor paused, giving the dog an amused, but fond, look, “I’m almost done, then I’ll give you all the attention you deserve.”

Vicchan let out another whine but dropped his paws back to the floor, instead choosing to curl up beside Victor’s feet.

Making quick work of the dishes, Victor uncorked the sink, letting the dishwater flow down the drain. He dried his hands before lowering into a crouch, rubbing his hand through the poodle’s soft curls.

“Alright boy, let’s go.” Vicchan perked his head up, unrolling and strolling after Victor as he exited the house. They took a spot on the porch, taking in the scenery before the poodle’s ears rose and the roar of an engine drew near.

Vicchan darted off the porch, as the faded blue truck rolled up the road and stopped just as it reached the driveway. The toy poodle stood on his hind legs, barking as the door creaked open and Yuuri exited.

“Vicchan!” He admonished the pup, “What have I told you about running down the driveway? One day it won’t be pretty…” The poodle merely gave a bork in response. Yuuri sighed, threading his fingers through his hair as the passenger side door opened, revealing Christophe.

The older man was dressed in tight workout pants, a threadbare tank top covering up little of his chest and what fabric was there was completely soaked in sweat. He reached into the backseat, with a grunt pulling out a cooler.

Yuuri walked around the truck, taking the cooler with ease from Chris and let the other man take a smaller container from inside the backseat. They stopped just before reaching the porch, dropping the coolers. Yuuri rubbed his forehead free of the sweat pooling by his brow, his top equally as soaked as Chris’ lack of a shirt.

Victor audibly swallowed against the lump in his throat.

“Welcome back.”

“Hi!” Yuuri smiled, face radiant in the daylight. “We caught a good catch today. I’m thinking we’re gonna go all out for dinner tonight.” He fluffed out his shirt, exposing bits of his stomach as he tried to cool down. “Sound good?”

Victor simply nodded, eyes laser focused on the hint of skin before him.

Chris leaned against the porch railing, the muscles in his arms flexing as Yuuri made his way into the house. “He caught the most out there. Consider it…” He grinned, “Consider them a gift.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah,” Making his way to a barrel full of water by the corner of the house, Chris splashed some of the water against his face, not even bothering to wipe at the droplets falling down his chest. “You should have seen him. I told him he was going to drain the place of all the fish but he wasn’t satisfied until he caught like twenty.” He slipped off his tank top, reaching beside the porch to grab a dry shirt he brought along, “Pretty sure they’re all for you.”

Chris slid his dry shirt over his head, not caring that the water he splashed on just moments before caught the fabric, leaving wet spots dotting along his chest. “I’m gonna go in, grab a beer, and then take my own spoils back to my husband.” He gave a wink, not waiting for a response as he entered the house.

Once left alone, Victor made his way down the steps and the driveway, opening the truck and clicking his tongue. Sand littered the floor and seats. As he peered into the back of the truck, he bit back a groan. There was a huge water stain that smelled distinctly of fish right in the middle of the backseat.

He sighed, moving to the passenger side, opening the small compartment to get a towel. Best to get the sand off the seats and then vacuum it all up off the floor. He took hold of the towel, wringing it out when something fell onto the floor.

Victor froze. With shaky hands, he slowly picked up the fabric, revealing to be a black thong of all things.

In Yuuri’s truck.

Hidden from view.

As if someone dumped of bucket of cold water on his head, he shivered, his shaking hands gripping the underwear tightly as he slid out of the truck. By his feet, Vicchan yipped.

He swallowed, the lump in his throat from earlier now feeling like a boulder that he might choke on.

It wasn’t possible. Yuuri would never… he couldn’t have… cheated on Victor…

The front door to the house banged opened, Yuuri appearing in a fresh pair of jeans and a simple faded shirt that highlighted his upper body.

“Victor!” He walked briskly down the steps, arms up as he wrapped them around Victor’s torso, “Did you see what I caught? A perfect bedmate, if I do say so myself!” He smiled against Victor’s side, at the joke from earlier that morning. When he received no response, he glanced up, finding Victor still staring at the fabric in his hands. “What’s…?”

Victor jerked out of the embrace, holding up the thong clearly for Yuuri to see. “I could ask you the same thing.” His voice cracked, hurt lacing his words, “I found these hidden in the truck. Your truck.” He took a deep breath, “Care to explain?”

“I…” Yuuri found himself at a loss. He vaguely remembered the underwear, how he had it in his coat pocket when he originally went to the hospital, two months ago, and… He must have put it in the truck and promptly forgotten about it. Until today. Now Victor was looking at him, hurt etched on his face, and Yuuri realized this had gone on far too long.

He had to tell Victor the truth. Right now.

“Okay.” He took a deep breath, “The thing is…”

Victor sucked in a breath, his eyes glistening.

“We’re not married. We never were. That’s your underwear. There, I said it.” Squeezing his eyes tight, he waited for the anger, the hate, the hurt, to bite him in the ass. Two months of living with Victor and this was the end. It was time to say goodbye.

“Who are they?”

“Eh?” Yuuri opened one eye, watching as Victor stared at the underwear in his hands.

“The person this underwear belongs to. Who are they?” Victor raised his head, eyes fierce, “Did you meet them at the rec center? Do they teach another class?”

“I…”

“Well?” Victor’s jaw tightened, his hands balling up into fists, “Are you going to answer? Who are they?”

“Listen,” Yuuri lifted a hand, as if to placate the other man, “I’m telling you the truth. We’re not husbands.”

“Don’t change the subject!” The black thong soared through the air, hitting Yuuri on the shoulder. He scrambled to catch it. “Who are they!”

“That’s what I’m trying to tell you!”

“Yuuri?”

Kenjirou stood at the foot of the driveway, hands resting on his bike’s handlebars, next to him was Guang Hong, Phichit, and Seung-gil. They watched with wide eyes as Yuuri quickly hid the thong from view.

“Boys.” He moved close to them, “Tell—tell Victor he’s not my husband. Tell him he’s not your dad.”

Phichit tilted his head forward, frown on his face, “What are you talking about? Of course he’s our dad. You both are.”

“No—“ Yuuri rubbed his free hand across his face, “Tell him about when I brought him home. The real story.”

“We were really worried!” Guang Hong chirped from next to Phichit, “I was up all night pacing!”

“No!” Yuuri grit his teeth together, “That’s not—!”

There was a huff behind him, and as he turned around, watched as Victor walked up the steps and back into the house. Once Victor was inside, he whirled back around to look at his sons.

“What was that?” He pinched the bridge of his nose, just over his glasses, “I finally told Victor the truth!”

“Yeah,” Seung-gil crossed his arms, “Things changed. We’re keeping him.”

“You—! You can’t keep him!”

“That didn’t stop you.” Phichit chimed from behind his phone, recording Yuuri’s complete and total meltdown.

“I had my reasons!”

“So do we.”

“We like him, Yuuri!” Kenjirou spoke up, face red to match the piece of hair on his head.

“I—“ Yuuri’s shoulders slumped, his nerves too frazzled, “I know. I like him, too.”

* * *

“You found what in the glove compartment?”

“A black thong.”

“Huh.”

Victor paced around the kitchen, Chris watching on from the table. In front of him was a plate of cheese and crackers he had helped himself to.

“Do…” Victor shook his head, hair falling into his eyes. He brushed them out of the way, “You’ve known Yuuri the longest, do you have any idea who it could be?”

“Listen, Victor…”

“Please be honest with me. Who are they?”

Chris sighed, pushing the plate of crackers away from him as he stood, “The thing is, that underwear… is mine.”

Blinking, Victor took a step back. “What?”

“You see,” Chris picked up the plate, leaving it on the counter instead, “I wanted to try something new, for Masumi, but I wasn’t sure he would be into it. Yuuri, he just wanted to help me out with my own love problems and when I mentioned the thong, well, he also knows Masumi and offered to hold onto the underwear until I was ready to surprise him.” He dropped his head, “I know I act like a sex god most of the time, but sometimes I worry it’s too much. Yuuri was just being a good friend.” He looked back up, spying Yuuri in the doorway, “Don’t blame him for my mistake.”

Holding his hands against his chest, Victor nodded. “Thanks Chris.”

“What…?”

They turned to the new addition to the kitchen, Yuuri moving close to Victor.

“Sorry Yuuri,” Chris shrugged, “Thanks for holding onto the underwear for me.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The gig is up, Victor knows they’re mine.”

“No but—“ Yuuri glanced back and forth between them, “I’m finally telling him the truth!”

“I just did.” Chris leaned against the counter, eyeing them both, “Sorry Victor.”

He got a shake of the head in response, a smile spreading across Victor’s face, “It’s alright. I forgive you.”

“Good.”

Victor beamed, the tension in his shoulders gone like a flash, and he leaned forward to peck Yuuri lightly on the nose. “I’m sorry for doubting you.” He didn’t wait, skipping back through the front door to welcome his sons back properly.

“What the hell.” Yuuri rounded on his friend, eyebrows furrowed, “What was that?”

“All’s fair in love and war,” Chris pushed off the counter, rubbing his hands together, “and you two belong together.”

* * *

The day was a Thursday. Victor knew this because it was Korean night and Seung-gil was in charge of dinner. He planned on a simple fish stew to use up some of the fish Yuuri caught just days before. They had already used it the day prior, Guang Hong’s dish of the night being pork and fish dumplings.

Victor hid a smile as he went out into the main dining area, two plates balanced on one arm and his other hand holding the third plate. He placed them in front of their respective patron, giving a bow and thanking them again for dining before taking back a glass to have it filled.

It was an adjustment, but only after a few weeks of doing menial tasks in the kitchens, he was eager to do more. Takeshi and Yuuko were accommodating, inquiring when he wanted to move up in the kitchen staff, maybe assist with the meal prep. So it came as a surprise to hear his request to wait tables. He went home that day, sure he was going to be rejected. Even though Yuuri rubbed his back and held him that night, Victor’s mood persisted into the morning.

He came to work the following day to find Yuuko and Takeshi grinning ear-to-ear and he began training the next day.

Yuuri made katsudon that night, even though they would normally have leftovers from the previous week.

Passing the room, he spied Yuuko by her chair, her hand resting on her stomach. Her due date had long since passed, and both she and Takeshi were concerned. Victor’s foot faltered, as he took in her face. While she was sitting, she seemed out of breath, her brow breaking out into a sweat. He moved to change his destination to the front when the person he just spoke to inquired about their drink.

With a stammered apology, Victor went into the kitchen, refilling the glass and quickly giving it back to the customer.

Lunch rush was slowly coming down, and Takeshi was due back that afternoon after speaking to a vendor about a late shipment. He insisted that if anything happens, to call him and he would rush back. Yuuko had smacked him playfully on the shoulder and told him to hurry up and go, that the diner would be fine.

Victor peeked out of the kitchen, towards the hostess stand. Yuuko was gripping the side of the chair, her knuckles white against the dark blue felt. He watched as her grip loosened, her body going slack. She leaned forward just a bit, her lips moving as her eyes remained closed. A single bead of sweat began to trail down the side of her neck, the color in her face nearly gone.

Something was wrong.

He turned to the cook on duty, “Nagahama-san, I need to leave.”

The cook looked up sharply from the pot he was stirring. “What? Why?”

“Um…” Victor glanced back before looking forward, “It might be an emergency, I’m going to call Takeshi and let him know.”

Nagahama squinted his eyes, the beads of his eyes contrasted with the stray away whisks of his eyebrows. There was a beat, “Okay. Go take Yuuko to the hospital. She should be there already. Kids these days.” He turned back to his pot, mutters lost to the steam.

And with the consent, Victor shot out of the kitchen, finding Yuuko hunched over once again, her grip an iron vice on the chair. “Yuuko.”

“ _I’m fine_.”

“Yuuko, please.”

“ _Takeshi will just worry_.”

“Yuuko.”

Searching her face, Victor saw the lines on her forehead loosen, her hand easing off the chair. He lifted a hand, waited until she opened her eyes, before brushing stray hairs away from her sweat soaked face.

“Yuuko, let me take you to the hospital. I’m worried. Takeshi will be too if he finds out you gave birth to your daughters at the restaurant.”

Her chest and shoulders heaved, falling as a deep breath escaped. “…Alright.”

Victor reached into his pocket for his phone, already scrolling through his contacts. A pale hand covered the phone screen, forcing him to look up.

“…Call Yuuri-kun?”

Her voice was quiet against the tin of the diner, almost lost to Victor’s ears had he not been so close.

“Is that what you want?”

Her eyes squeezed shut, face taut as her hands gripped the chair once more.

“ _Please_.”

* * *

“Yuuko is amazing.”

Yuuri let out a small chuckle as he leaned against the stiff chair the hospital waiting room supplied. The weight of the afternoon hit him like a freight train once Yuuko was wheeled away by the nurses. Beside him, Victor sat, his right hand covering his face as he leaned against Yuuri’s side.

“Do you know what she told me, while we waited for you?”

“Hm?”

Victor lowered his hand, laying his head onto Yuuri’s shoulder. He glanced up, admiring the other man’s bone structure. “She told me a week ago they thought she was going into labor. Turns out it was just indigestion. So…”

“Oh man…” Yuuri laid his own head upon Victor’s, completely drained. He linked their fingers together, “You gave me a scare today.”

“I’m sorry. I was worried about her.”

A calm settled over the waiting room, Yuuri reveling in the quiet. The only thing they heard was the beeps and murmurings from the machines and nurses through the doors.

“…You think Takeshi is here yet?”

“I contacted him as soon as I hung up with you so…”

Takeshi burst into the waiting room, eyes frantic. “Where is she?!” The nurse by the reception jolted up in her seat, as he slammed his hands on the counter. “Where is my wife?!”

“Sir, if you could pleas—“

“Nishigori!” Yuuri held up his free hand, waving his friend over, “They already took her in.”

At the news, Takeshi deflated, spreading out over the counter, “Oh thank goodness…”

“Sir…” He glanced up, and the nurse gave him a fond look, “Before we can have you join your wife, there are a few forms you need to fill out…”

“Oh!” Takeshi straightened off the counter, accepting the clipboard and taking it over to where Yuuri and Victor sat. He tapped the pen against his knee. Once he began filling out the first form in earnest, he gave out a sigh. “Thanks for getting her here, Yuuri.”

Shaking his head, Yuuri squeezed the fingers entwined with his, “No, Victor was the one who noticed, and he called me. You should be thanking him.”

* * *

“Meet Axel, Lutz, and Loop Nishigori.”

The three were bundled in blue, purple, and pink blankets. Yuuko held one while Takeshi had the other two in his arms, tears welling up in his eyes.

“Oh Yuuko…” Victor clasped his hands together, pressed against his chest, “They’re beautiful.”

With her free hand, she motioned for Yuuri, as Axel dozed away on her chest. “Yuuri, Takeshi and I… We wanted to ask you before…”

“Yes?” Yuuri hung back, despite the fact that Yuuko was telling him to come closer.

Takeshi nuzzled his nose against Loop’s head, tears freely falling down his cheeks. “Yuuri, will you be their godfather?”

His eyes widened, and his vision grew blurry. He only registered the tears once he felt arms wrap around his shoulders from behind him, Victor’s chest solid against his back.

“Yes! Yes, of course!”

* * *

They didn’t stay long. Once they took enough photos of the girls and their parents to fill an entire album, Yuuri and Victor took their leave. They sat in the truck, the engine idling in the parking lot.

Victor stared as Yuuri continued to look forward, completely content at watching the other man. At how his eyes sparkled, especially when he was looking for something. The sun was beginning its slow descent below the horizon, the rays highlighting against Yuuri’s hair.

It took his breath away.

He was still trying to get his breath back when Yuuri jerked in his seat, twisting until he was facing the passenger side. He took Victor’s hand in his own, feeling the calluses on his fingertips from his work at the diner. There was a small papercut on his thumb, from when he was giving a receipt to a customer.

Yuuri reached into his pocket, taking out a small box. He kept his eyes down, even as he opened it with his one hand.

“Victor—“

He glanced up then, eyes bright in the setting sun, and his voice died in this throat.

Victor’s own eyes were welled up, tears threatening to fall. His lower lip was caught between his teeth.

“I love you, Victor.” The words, which had vanished before, fell from his lips, “I want you to be with me, always.” He slipped the ring out of the box, sliding it onto Victor’s right ring finger.

“Yes—“ The tears fell freely, cloaking his voice as they met in the middle, lips meshing together as if they were two sides of the same whole. They broke apart, a giggle escaping Victor as he held up his hand, his eyes in awe at the ring.

A rush welled up in Yuuri’s chest, and he leaned forward, his lips meeting Victor’s easily. He reached up, resting his hands on either side of Victor’s face, his thumbs rubbing the tears.

They remained close, breathing in each others’ space. Victor tilted his head forward, resting against Yuuri’s. “I love you too, Yuuri.”

* * *

There was a limousine in the driveway.

Yuuri pulled up a bit away, parking half on the gravel and half on the neighboring grass. With a glance at his phone, he saw multiple missed calls from his sons. Victor shifted beside him, nuzzling his nose against the crook of Yuuri’s neck.

“Are we home already?”

“Yeah.”

The door to their home opened, their four sons poking their heads out, Kenjirou and Phichit gesturing wildly at the limo.

Victor pressed his lips against Yuuri’s neck before unhooking his seatbelt, opening the door to the truck and making his way up to the house.

Yuuri could only watch from the truck as the door to the limousine opened and the same blond who pushed him off the boat those two months ago appeared.

Dread wormed its way up his stomach into his throat, locking up his voice. He stumbled out of the truck, clutching the edge of it.

“Hi Yuri!”

Victor waved cheerily as he passed the blond, who scowled, and was mid-step up the stairs when he froze.

Slowly, too slowly for Yuuri’s liking, he watched with bated breath as Victor turned around.

“…Yuri?”

“In the flesh.”

“Oh my… Yuri Plisetsky!” Victor went down the steps, twirling once on stable ground, “I remember! I remember… I’m Victor Nikiforov!” He rested his hands on his cheeks, eyes wide.

The blond, Yuri, nodded, the scowl still plastered on his face.

A gasp escaped Victor as he turned back to the truck, “Yuuri! I’m cured!”

Yuuri could only nod, his breath still in his lungs.

“The doctor said my memory would come back and it did, I saw Yuri, and then poof! It was back! Ask me—ask me about my childhood in Russia—or my father, his name is Yakov, and—“ Halfway through the babbling, a giggle surfaced from within Victor, “See how I know me?” He came back to the truck, wrapping his arms around Yuuri’s shoulders, “Oh thank you, Yuuri! Thank you for taking me in and—“ The arms around his shoulders seized up before quickly slipping away, leaving Yuuri’s body strangely cold. “Why did you do that?”

He was met with only silence.

“You…” Recognition bloomed in Victor’s blue eyes. “You’re that carpenter that… Yuri threw off the boat.”

Yuuri broke eye contact, instead focusing on a random tree in the background.

“You… You tricked me?”

Taking a deep breath, Yuuri turned back to the man in front of him. The area around Victor’s eyes was already red from earlier, but it didn’t diminish the effect of the new tears now falling down his cheeks. He could only stare.

“…Say something.”

Biting his lower lip, Yuuri steeled himself, “Victor…” His right hand twitched, but he refrained from reaching out. “I… Let’s end this.”

Victor shut his eyes, his Adam’s apple bobbing, before he opened them, turning away and up the steps once again. “I have to… get my things.”

Seung-gil, Phichit, Guang Hong, and Kenjirou parted like the Red Sea, letting the older man pass.

Yuuri looked back at the blond Yuri, who was angrily tapping his foot against the ground. When he noticed Yuuri staring, he frowned.

“Don’t get any ideas. I brought Otabek.”

From the limousine, another man with an undercut emerged, his face grim.

Seung-gil took one look at the man and turned to his brothers, “I think we can take on Otabek.”

The door to the house creaked open as Victor reappeared, his walk down the steps slow, “There’s… nothing inside that’s mine.” He glanced in Yuuri’s direction, but quickly looked away.

With a groan, Yuri Plisetsky moved forward, grabbing Victor by the arm, “Okay, let’s go. We’ve wasted enough time here already.”

Victor let himself be dragged to the limo by the smaller man.

“Your stupid dog hasn’t stopped whining since you’ve been gone.”

“Wha—“ Victor dug his heels into the dirt, forcing them to stop, “My dog—Makkachin? She’s… alive?” He instantly turned to Yuuri, his eyes wide and glossy and hurt.

“Yeah, of course she’s alive. And I’m done taking care of her. That’s your job.” He tugged on Victor’s arm, “Come on, let’s go.”

Victor was soon placed into the limo, the door shutting behind Yuri.

The limousine began to back out of the driveway, just as the front door swung open and Vicchan scurried his way towards the vehicle.

“Vicchan, no!”

Intercepting the toy poodle, Yuuri held him to his chest, despite Vicchan’s determination to break free and run after the limousine.

Seung-gil came up next to Yuuri, “You should have told him.”

Vicchan whined in his grasp. “…He would have just left sooner.”

Inside the limo, Victor watched as the house he lived in for the past two months vanish from view.

* * *

If one asked him how he felt, being back on the USS Makkachin, Victor didn’t think he would be able to answer. The boat rocked beneath his feet, there were the same sounds of the crew working, and the endless sea remained constant over the horizon.

But no one asked him his feelings, instead they were quick to demand he bend by their rules, to conform to their image.

Only Makkachin seemed to care. She hadn’t left his side since his return to the ship.

He stood at the stern, the landscape behind them getting smaller and smaller the further they went. Makkachin rubbed up against his leg, and Victor let a hand rest on her head.

Below deck, Yuri, Yakov, and some doctor they grabbed from wherever were in a meeting. For what, Victor didn’t know, and try as he might, he couldn’t find it in himself to care.

The clothes he was given itched, and he found himself longing to wear that stupid muumuu from so long ago. Despite it all, Yuuri was right, it was comfy.

“Vitya.”

Even without turning around, he could see the Yakov’s expression in his head. Eyes narrowed, mouth set in a frown, and arms crossed.

“Hm?”

There was a heavy sigh, “A lot has happened these past few months. Certain things have changed.”

Victor bit back the urge to laugh. That was definitely an understatement. Not privy to Victor’s thoughts, Yakov continued.

“Aside from this whole episode, there’s also the matter of your engagement with Leroy. There’s been… a drawback.”

Feeling his own frown form, Victor’s brow furrowed, “Drawback?” He finally turned, confirming the image in his head.

Yakov nodded. “Celestino thinks it’s better for you to get your memory back entirely before I tell you, however—“

“I’m not marrying him.”

Makkachin let out a whine, pressing her head into Victor’s hand.

Holding his head up, Victor tightened his jaw, “I never wanted to marry him. And I’m not. Cancel the engagement, I don’t care.”

“Now Vitya—“

“I’m tired.” The very end of his sentence was shrill, indicating his composure slipping. “Good night, Yakov. Come, Makkachin.”

* * *

Vicchan refused to move from the porch. No matter what anyone did, he remained rooted to the floorboards. After a few hours, Seung-gil, Phichit, Guang Hong, Kenjirou, and even Gongjunim joined him, staring out at the driveway for someone who was long gone.

“They’re still out there.” Chris peeked from the kitchen window. “I don’t think they’ve moved this entire time.”

Yuuri let out a sigh, leaving the pot on the stove as he went out front.

“Boys.”

Guang Hong gripped his pant legs, “We want Victor back.”

From next to him, Kenjirou nodded, “We miss him.”

Yuuri rubbed the back of his head, “Look, he’s gone! He went back to his rich and fabulous life and… he hates me. He’s never coming back… That’s the end of it.” He sat down next to Phichit, who had his phone out, an album of just Victor and them open on the screen. He sighed, staring out alongside them.

“Oh great,” Chris mused from the kitchen, “He’s started doing it too.”

* * *

Victor found himself in the ship kitchen, a pint of ice cream in front of him.

He didn’t even like ice cream.

“There you are.”

He continued staring at the half melted gloop, the spoon limp in his hand.

“Ugh, you’re even worse than before.”

The spoon was snatched out of his grasp, the pint of ice cream pulled away. He glanced up just in time to see Yuri force a piece of ice cream into his mouth. The younger man made a face, but still swallowed the dessert.

“This flavor is disgusting.”

Victor didn’t respond, instead turning to look out the window, towards the sea. Talking used up too much energy. And Victor was so, so tired.

The door to the freezer opened, the gush of cold bursting out even more so when it was shut, and Yuri stomped in front of Victor. “Hey.” He crossed his arms over his chest, his eyebrows angled down, “What… what happened, with the carpenter guy?”

A lump wedged itself in Victor’s throat, choking his voice, even if he wanted to talk. Already he had spent so many tears, both happy and sad, and he didn’t want to cry anymore. The pain and hurt wracked his body but years of schooling had taught him to hide it. Instead, he merely shut his eyes, letting out a deep sigh.

When he opened his eyes again, it was too late. The tears were falling freely once again.

“Shit.”

He turned from Yuri, wiping his eyes the best he could to stop the tears but they persisted.

“H-hey.”

A light pressure rested on his arm, and he shoved it away, conscious that it was Yuri’s hand. Victor bit back a sob.

“You… really liked that guy, didn’t you?”

“It—“ Victor pressed a tissue against his eyes, “It doesn’t matter now, does it?” The question remained unanswered as Victor moved towards the door. “I’m stuck. With some Canadian.” He switched out the tissue for a newer one. “I’m just a trophy, right?”

“Victor—“

“I—“ Covering his eyes, he stilled by the entrance of the kitchen, “I’m done, Yuri. Good night.”

* * *

Yuuri woke up the next day re-energized.

He quickly got dressed, running upstairs, and pulling the curtains to the windows wide open, letting the sun in. Behind him, groans from his sons reached his ears.

“Boys!” He balled up his fists, raised halfway up his torso. “Wake up, get dressed. We’re going.”

“Going… where…?” Guang Hong groaned from underneath his pillow.

“We’re getting Victor back.”

All at once, they jumped out of bed, blankets flying. Gongjunim barked in delight.

“How are we gonna do it?”

“Don’t worry,” Yuuri grinned, “I know someone who can help.”

* * *

Yuri wasn’t worried. He wasn’t.

… Okay so maybe he was a tad bit. Just a little.

Victor retreated to his cabin hours ago, Makkachin faithfully at his heels. So far, not a peep had been heard from within. Not that Yuri was listening. Because he wasn’t. He just occasionally walked past. Potya needed her exercise.

He was walking by Victor’s room for what felt like the hundredth time when Otabek caught him by the arm.

“Yuri.”

“I’m worried, okay!”

Otabek nodded.

“You didn’t hear him, earlier. Even before he fell overboard, he was…” Yuri frowned, “He was distant, but now he’s… more.” Potya grazed his leg, meowing as she did so. “When we picked him up, hell, when we saw him at the hospital, he looked happy. And now…”

“You think we should have left him in Oregon?”

“I don’t know!” Throwing his hands in the air, Yuri leaned against the wall. “I hate this. Stupid Victor…”

Otabek leaned beside him on the wall, keeping his eyes turned towards the floor. Silence permeated the hall, pressing against Yuri’s ears until he couldn’t take it anymore.

“That’s it!” He pushed off the wall, grabbing the knob to Victor’s room and twisting it until the door gave in. He didn’t wait for a response, instead stalking up to the bed.

Victor was on his side, eyes open but glassy as he stared at the wall. He didn’t even turn as Yuri entered the room. At the foot of the bed, Makkachin whined.

“Victor!” He marched until he was right in front of the other man, hands firm on his hips. “Get up.”

His eyes slowly closed before opening. “…No.”

“Yes, dammit!” Yuri reached forward, grabbing Victor by the arm. “Otabek! Help me!”

“What’s going on here?!”

Yuri froze, grip going slack on Victor’s wrist.

Beside Otabek stood Yakov, still in his nightclothes. He was going red in the face, a vein about to pop on his forehead.

Like a dam breaking, Yuri snapped back to the problem at hand. “I’m taking Victor back. He’s… Yakov, he was happier, back there, than he ever was here.”

Next to him, he heard a soft gasp.

Yakov shook his head, “It’s not that easy, Yuri. After what happened, especially after what happened, I’m taking Vitya back home. Where he belongs.”

“Maybe if you had been here, had heard him, you’d think otherwise.” He saw red, whether it was from the older man’s face or the terrible curtains, or just purely his rage at the entire situation, Yuri stood his ground.

“I know my son.”

“Do you?!”

In the distance, a horn blew.

“Stop!”

Victor sat up, eyes downcast and his fists tense. Yuri let go of his wrist.

Twice.

“I…” He sighed. “I’m so tired, Yakov.”

“Vitya—“

Thrice.

“And,” Victor brushed his bangs out of his eyes, “I’m done. I think… I think I always was. For a long time now.”

“Vitya, please—“

Four times.

“Do you guys hear that?” Otabek spoke against the quiet that settled in the room.

Victor slowly looked up.

The horn blew a fifth time. And then—

“— _ictor!_ ”

Blinking rapidly, Victor leapt off his bed, Makkachin barking at the action.

“Vitya!”

“He’s—“

“ _Victor!!!_ ”

Tears renewed, Victor grabbed Yuri by the hands, “He’s here!”

“What—Who—“

Victor released Yuri’s hands, going to Yakov and wrapping him up in a hug. The older man sputtered, questions still at the tip of his tongue.

With a laugh, Victor let go, instead running past Otabek and out onto the deck. He peered out over the side of the boat, when the horn blew a sixth time. He raced to the other side of the boat, finding just a distance away, another ship, with five very familiar faces aboard. He waved frantically.

“Yuuri!”

Cheers echoed off the other boat. At the helm, an older woman yelled the loudest.

Joy filled Victor’s chest, and he backed up, ready to fly into Yuuri’s arms when a hand caught his arm.

“Victor, wait!”

He kept his eyes on the other boat, on Yuuri, and their four boys, and Vicchan, he was barking alongside Kenjirou. All he knew was that his family was here, across the water, and he needed to be with them.

Something orange was shoved into his arms.

“At least put on a life jacket, you idiot.”

A laugh escaped him, as he hooked up the life vest. Once it was secured, he ran forward, jumping easily into the cold water below.

“Victor!”

He resurfaced, just in time to see Yuuri do the same. Without waiting, he propelled himself forward, panting as they met in the middle, Yuuri’s arms reaching out for him in return. They clung to each other.

Eyes stinging from the swim, Victor let himself cry without care, as Yuuri held him close.

“You’re the first person I’ve ever wanted to hold onto,” Yuuri whispered in to his ear. “I meant it, yesterday. I love you.”

Victor sobbed openly, “I love you too!”

A whirl of an engine came closer as a rescue boat pulled up alongside them. Hands went to grab them, but Yuuri let Victor go first. Once they were settled comfortably aboard the rescue boat, Yuuri held Victor close once more.

“I can’t believe you jumped off the boat. Willingly.”

Victor let out a chuckle, “It was the only thing I could think of to surprise you more than you’ve surprised me.”

The rescue boat returned to the main, and they rejoined their sons on deck. Victor was swamped in a family hug, Vicchan licking his face from his arms.

He laughed openly, happiness written on his face.

“Let’s go home.”

* * *

A few months later, a letter was forwarded to the Katsuki-Nikiforov residence from a one Jean-Jacques Leroy. On one side, a picture of a young man with an undercut, arms crossed and fingers in the shapes of Js, alongside a young black haired woman in a wedding gown, her own hands doing the same.

The other side thanked them for their beautiful welcome basket in response to their marriage.

The letter found itself in the kitchen, tacked to the refrigerator, beside a picture, only this one was of Victor and Yuuri. Both in finely pressed suits, in white and black respectively.


End file.
